Rademacher, Hill Named Scholar-Athlete

Jan 31, 2013

Central Connecticut senior Jamie Rademacher, volleyball, and junior Andrew Hill, men's cross country, were named Northeast Conference Fall Scholar-Athlete for their respective sport for the 2012 season. Both student-athletes excelled in competition during the fall season while maintaining the exceptional academic performance that they have exhibited throughout their careers.

In addition, 55 CCSU student-athletes were named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll for the fall season, including 13 Blue Devils that were also recognized on the Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Rademacher caps a stellar senior campaign with her selection as the women's volleyball scholar-athlete award winner. She was voted to the All-NEC second team after leading the NEC with a .361 hitting percentage this past fall. She also ranked among the NEC's top-10 in blocks (0.92/set) and finished third on the Blue Devils in kills (2.10/set).

A team captain for 2012, Rademacher was a three-time NEC Player of the Week and helped lead CCSU to a berth in the NEC Tournament. The tournament appearance was the 10th consecutive for the Blue Devil squad.

"I am thrilled that Jamie has received this wonderful recognition," head coach Linda Sagnelli said upon hearing of Rademacher's honor. "Jamie is such a great ambassador of our university and volleyball program, her work ethic and drive is what has helped her be so successful both in the classroom and on the court. We are all very proud of her."

In the classroom, the New Lenox, IL product registered a perfect 4.0 grade point average in the fall to boost her cumulative GPA to 3.91. Rademacher, a marketing major, has been an NEC Academic Honor Roll and Commissioner's Honor Roll member each year of her CCSU tenure.

In early November, Rademahcer was named a Capital One Academic All-District selection by CoSIDA, an honor that placed her among the top volleyball student-athletes in the region for both academics and athletics.

Hill becomes the latest Blue Devil to take home the men's cross country scholar-athlete award, joining former teammates Sam Alexander and Ry Sanderson.

According to head coach Eric Blake, "Andrew has been a great student-athlete the past three years. He is an extremely hard worker who leads by example and he works just as hard in the classroom as he does in practice and at meets." Blake added, "This has been a breakthrough year for him as an athlete. His individual success was a great contribution to our 2012 NEC Championship team."

This past October, Hill earned All-Conference honors as the Blue Devils claimed their fourth consecutive NEC Championship. He crossed the finish line in 25:42 for 11th place, finishing less than 40 seconds behind the lead runner and NEC Individual Champion, CCSU's Colby Delbene.

Hill kicked off his 2012 season taking first at the Quinnipiac Invitational, crossing the finish line in 27:40.2. He followed up the win with a 10th-place finish at the CCSU Mini Meet in a field of 76 competitors. Hill wrapped up his junior campaign with a 91st-place finish out of 238 runners at the NCAA Regionals.

In addition to serving as a valuable asset to the CCSU men's cross country squad on the course, the Colchester, CT native also leads the Blue Devils with a 3.77 grade point average as an education major with a concentration in mathematics.

The NEC Academic Honor Roll recognizes student-athletes that maintain a grade point average above a 3.20 on a 4.0 scale. CCSU's 55 student-athletes on the honor roll were spread across all six of the institution's fall sports. Leading the way was the CCSU women's soccer team with 18 student-athletes on the honor roll. Volleyball was represented on the honor roll by 10 student-athletes and men's soccer was close behind with nine members recognized. The CCSU football team and the women's cross country program both had seven individuals named to the honor roll and men's cross country had five student-athletes recognized.

To be named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll a student-athlete must maintain a 3.75 GPA through the completion of the most recent semester. Below are CCSU's 13 student-athletes that earned a place on the Commissioner's Honor Roll.